Spotlight on QAlias…Is it Another LinkedIn?

When it comes to having a professional profile online, many business savvy folks opt to use platforms such as LinkedIn or Facebook. However, I recently came across a site called QAlias which has been creating a buzz among business-minded people.

What is QAlias?

QAlias stands for “Query Alias” and is a type of service similar to LinkedIn where users are provided with a professional setting in which they can set up a business profile or professional profile for other business like-minded individuals to find them. According to the site:

[QAlias gives you a professional environment in which to place a bio, email-able bulletin, business cards and earn priority presence on search engines withoug having to create a costly, elaborate website.

The site claims to make your name more searchable on search engines such as Google and Yahoo, but I haven’t tried it out to see if is actually true. The nice thing about QAlias is that the format is simple. Users have a bio page that allows you to include do-follow in-body links back to your website. There is also a separate tab in which people looking at your profile can contact you directly if need be. There is also an additional feature that allows you to create a sort of online business card for others to see. Below is an example of one user’s profile:

The only downside to QAlias is that unlike Facebook and LinkedIn (both of which are free), QAlias charges a fee of $9.95/month for its services. As for its networking potential, at the outset, it doesn’t appear to be quite as interactive as something like LinkedIn or Facebook.